Sixty percent of all Americans back higher taxes on higher incomes in the new Post-ABC data. Earlier this month, an identical 60 percent of voters in the presidential election said income taxes should be raised on income over $250,000, according to the national exit poll.

In the new poll, 73 percent of Democrats support such tax hikes, including a majority, 57 percent, who do so “strongly.” Among political independents, 63 percent back an increase, while 59 percent of Republicans oppose such a move.

Other proposed solutions to shrinking the debt are far less popular with the public. Only 44 percent support new limitations on the deductions people can claim on their federal income taxes -- a proposal that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney put forward during his unsuccessful 2012 presidential campaign.

Limiting deductions gets only tepid support across party lines, with greater numbers strongly opposed than strongly supportive among Democrats, Republicans and independents alike.

Democrats, Republicans and independents also unite in opposition to hiking the entry age for Medicare, with the opposition particularly stiff among Democrats. Opposition to such a change peaks (naturally) among those aged 50 to 64 -- the very people who will soon reap those benefits.

Perhaps not surprisingly, a Post-Pew survey after the election found widespread public doubt that a deal will be reached by the end of the year, with skepticism far exceeding its level preceding the agreement on the “debt ceiling” in 2011.

GOP Rep. calls for party to take Democrats' tax deal: Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Tuesday that Republicans in Congress should allow the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to expire, arguing that it wouldn't violate their pledge not to raise taxes.

Speaking at a private session, the former National Republican Congressional Committee chairman said his party should agree to tax cuts for everyone else, avert the fiscal cliff, and argue over tax cuts for the wealthy later.